Kat Spears: Surface Lore
January 21 - March 13
Kat Spears: Surface Lore is on view in the Upper Traylor Gallery from January 21 through March 13, 2026. Kat Spears will give an artist talk on Wednesday, March 11, at 5:00pm in the Upper Traylor Gallery in the Rogers-Traylor Art Building. All are welcome; no RSVP required. Kat will also lead a workshop focusing on monotype printmaking techniques on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:00pm. Advanced registration for this workshop is required. The workshop is free and all supplies are provided, but space is limited. For more information, visit our Events page.
The paintings in Surface Lore hide many layers of imagery gleaned from observation, sketches, personal photo archives, art history, memory and imagination. Their surfaces have been metamorphosing for the past three years, during which time they have changed to reflect the artist’s changing preoccupations and favorite icons. The surface quality and imagery visible at last has been guided by the unexpected textures and colors that appeared in this process of layering, painting-over, and un-painting.
Kat Spears is an artist originally from Kentucky. Their studio practice is founded largely in an inexhaustible love for observational and figural drawing and painting. Parallel to this practice, they engage with many modes of image-making, as well as installation, sculpture, poetry, music, and sound. They graduated from Berea College in 2014 (Studio Art, Art History, Spanish), and completed a Masters of Fine Arts from Indiana University Bloomington in 2022. They have been teaching drawing and painting courses since 2019 and currently serve as the Visiting Professor of Painting at Drawing at Berea College.